Conversations with Literary Ex-Cons: Jack Gantos
Jack Gantos discusses the sense of “delusional invincibility” he had in 1970s New York that led him to prison—and then on to a career as an award-winning children’s book author.
Posts by tag
drugs
156 posts
He Doesn’t Wanna Be Here
It wasn’t until my mom came over after work and told me my brother had confessed to her that he'd been using heroin for two years and needed help that I knew I’d seen him with a needle in his arm.
Mac and Me
The last time I'd been to my father's grave was the previous winter, for the dedication ceremony for his headstone. The wind gusted, bone-cold, and I didn't stay long. I wondered if Dad brokered a deal with God to make the weather unpleasant just to get back at me.
Make/Work Episode 22: Mick
In episode 22 of The Rumpus’s Make/Work podcast, Scott Pinkmountain speaks with guitarist and songwriter Mick about his childhood abuse, drug use, and the crucial need for alternatives to Katy Perry.
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
In “Hunting For The Little Prince,” Sigal Samuel invites us to tag along as she pursues the real-life inspiration for the blonde-haired protagonist of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous children’s book.…
Super Hot Prof-on-Student Word Sex: Antonia Crane, The Dirty Dozenth
And this is precisely why I was so entirely blown away by Antonia Crane’s new memoir, Spent, which chronicles her dark and twisted path through the above horrors with remarkable elegance and restraint.
No One Hears the Wars in Your Head. Except You.
I worked the same way with alcohol and drugs, and my whiskey elves, my beasts, never disappointed. I mean, they didn’t always write the prettiest prose — cocaine isn’t known…
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
We’ve had a busy couple weekends at the Rumpus lately, and we wanted to make sure nobody missed any of the spectacular essays and book reviews we’ve been posting. For…
What to Read When There’s No More Breaking Bad
With the series finale of Breaking Bad drawing ever closer, we’re looking for new ways to get our drug-story fix. That’s why we were as excited as Aaron Paul on The Price…
The Big Idea: Carl Hart
Suzanne Koven talks to neuroscientist Carl Hart about his recent book, High Price, and how misinformation, emotionalism, and racism have played major roles in our country's war—and our culture's views—on drugs.
The Violence of Mexican Drug Cartels
A bitterly violent war against Mexican Drug Cartels wages on across the U.S. border. Tens of thousands are being murdered, and over a million are being forced to flee their homes.…